The Pirates split their weekend series with Cincinnati, dropping two of three to the Reds — but salvaging the finale in a major way, blasting Cincinnati 9-4 Sunday at PNC Park.
Friday, the Reds took the opener 6-4. Saturday got away from Pittsburgh late — Eugenio Suarez’s three-run homer off closer Gregory Soto in the ninth turned a 7-6 Bucs lead into a 9-7 loss.
Sunday, the long ball bailed them out. Ryan O’Hearn went deep twice and drove in four. Tyler Callihan and Esmerlyn Valdez each added solo shots — Valdez’s traveling 461 feet to right-center. Mitch Keller picked up the win, his sixth of the season.
The Pirates sit at 42-42 at the season’s midpoint, and Bryan Reynolds’ on-base streak now stands at 32 games.
Up next — a road trip to Philadelphia. The Pirates open a three-game set against the Phillies Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, with games Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:40, and the series finale Thursday at 12:35. Philadelphia enters as the defending NL East champs and one of the league’s top offenses.
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